sell everything you have and follow me

[gallenwalsh]

What was Christ really saying to the man whom he said to sell everything he had and follow him, certainly there is nothing wrong with material things if they not idolized.To many churches say you have to give give give while they take take take .

[Kat]

Hi gallenwalsh,

Mat 19:21  Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;

I don't think this means we have to sell all of our physical belongings. It is a spiritual thing, God must come before everything and if anything we have gets in the way of that loyalty to Him then it needs to be removed. That is what Jesus means in the parable about plucking out your eye or rather anything that will keep you from obeying God.

Mat 18:9  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell (gehenna/judgment) fire.

So this is a relative statement (like a parable) comparing being physically poor, so as the rest of the verse says "you will have treasure in heaven." Sounds like this is saying you can't have it both ways, either you are rich in this world or you are rich in heavenly things. It's like the parable of the rich fool.

Luke 12:16  And He spoke a parable to them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
v. 17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room in which to store my fruits?
v. 18  And he said, I will do this. I will pull down my barns and build bigger ones, and I will store all my fruits and my goods there.
v. 19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years. Take your ease, eat drink and be merry.
v. 20  But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul shall be required of you, then whose shall be those things which you have prepared?
v. 21  So is he who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

Mat 19:24  And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Mat 10:37  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.

But if we lose our family and friends for the sake of this truth, He says He will replace them and we have so much to gain spiritually, ETERNAL LIFE.

Mat 19:29  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.

It is true that God must come first in everything, absolutely no physically desire can come before Him. We must seek Him first and be content in whatever He provides.

Mat 6:33  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
v. 34  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

1Tim 6:6  There is great gain in godliness with contentment;
v. 7  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world;
v. 8  but if we have food and clothing, with these we shall be content.
v. 9  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and hurtful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.
v. 10  For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.
v. 11  But as for you, man of God, shun all this; aim at righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
v. 12  Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

The narrow way may not be an easy path to take, but it is all so worth the effort, as Paul says;

1Co 2:9  But as it is written:
       "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
       Nor have entered into the heart of man
       The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

mercy, peace and love
Kat

[Dennis Vogel]

What was Christ really saying to the man whom he said to sell everything he had and follow him, certainly there is nothing wrong with material things if they not idolized.To many churches say you have to give give give while they take take take .

There are disciples and apostles.

IMO, this man could have been an apostle which is far greater than a disciple. This warrants selling everything.

[Deborah-Leigh]

What was Christ really saying to the man whom he said to sell everything he had and follow him

From what I understand Gallenwalsh,  Christ was/is saying that when (and we all will ) eventually follow Him, and that WHEN we understand, comprehend and are completed and are finally like Him in His Image, then all the material in the world will be as dung next to the appropriation of His likeness of His Spirit of Truth.

Until then, we shall still have dung, earth, temporal perishable things clinging to us until His fire scrubs off the dross of carnal fleshy living and fearful clinging and our blind groupings after pride of life immortality.

We are vessels of corruption containing His incorruptible Spirit conforming us to His Perfect flawless Image Spirit and Truth that knows, comprehends and is sympathetic towards our infirmity and weakness.


Arc.

[aqrinc]

What was Christ really saying to the man whom he said to sell everything he had and follow him, certainly there is nothing wrong with material things if they not idolized.To many churches say you have to give give give while they take take take .

There are disciples and apostles.

IMO, this man could have been an apostle which is far greater than a disciple. This warrants selling everything.

What was Christ really saying to the man whom he said to sell everything he had and follow him

From what I understand Gallenwalsh,  Christ was/is saying that when (and we all will ) eventually follow Him, and that WHEN we understand, comprehend and are completed and are finally like Him in His Image, then all the material in the world will be as dung next to the appropriation of His likeness of His Spirit of Truth.

Until then, we shall still have dung, earth, temporal perishable things clinging to us until His fire scrubs off the dross of carnal fleshy living and fearful clinging and our blind groupings after pride of life immortality.

We are vessels of corruption containing His incorruptible Spirit conforming us to His Perfect flawless Image Spirit and Truth that knows, comprehends and is sympathetic towards our infirmity and weakness.

Arc.

Very well stated, Dennis and Arc.

Kat your Scripture excerpts bookends both Dennis and Arc's comments nicely, and with a few reads and rereads, can bring clarity for most.

george .

[Phil3:10]

Dennis and Arc,
I think you both really hit the nail on the head. Apostleship was offered to this man who I think represents carnal humanity and the dangers inherent in wealth. Nearly all of CHRIST'S apostles were poor and unlearned men who dropped everything to follow HIM. It is the things of this world that so very much pull us away from the truths of GOD. Kat, as always, brings to each reader the scriptural basis for a more complete understanding.
In HIM,
Phil3:10